Emergency crews and investigators look over an airplane that crashed at Butler County Regional Airport, Tuesday, May 15. Henry Rosche III, 63, of Loveland, was injured in the crash when his 1974 Grumman plane experienced engine failure, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

The investigation is ongoing, but preliminary results show the plane was about 500 feet in the air when its engine stopped. The pilot turned to attempt an emergency landing, but failed to return to the runway.

Witnesses said the plane went sideways, then crashed, but never caught fire.

Rosche, who was the only person in the plane, was extricated by Hamilton fire crews and airlifted to University of Cincinnati Medical Center, according to Hamilton Fire Chief Mark Mercer.

Later in the call as Air Care arrived, Rosche seemed to be “coming to” as emergency responders could be heard telling him repeatedly not to move.

“He hit pretty hard,” a witness at the scene told a 911 dispatcher, describing the plane crash on the west end of the runway.

Brenda Deborde said she witnessed the crash while driving her son to work. She saw the plane flying “sideways” and said that’s when she told her son it was going to crash.

“I seen the plane going sideways and I told my son, ‘He’s getting ready to hit’ and about that time it hit and when it did pieces started flying off and you see a little bit of black dust,” she told the Journal-News. “Well I come on up, right up this way, and I call 911 and I looked to see if I could see anybody and I couldn’t see nobody.”

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.

This article has been updated from its original post to corrrect the name of the pilot. Ohio Highway Patrol Lt. Clint Arnold initially gave this news outlet incorrect information.